The French Commander continued his retreat to Salamanca, and the British General stood victorious on the confines of Portugal; the FOURTEENTH light dragoons furnished the out-posts on the left bank of the Agueda at Villa del Egua, where a peasant arrived from Ledesma, with intelligence that the French army was reinforced and re-organized, and was advancing. A squadron under Captain Brotherton was sent to Santa Espirita, and it fell back behind the Agueda as the French army advanced. Almeida being blockaded by the allied army, Marshal Massena advanced to its relief; the FOURTEENTH withdrew gradually as the enemy approached, and on the 3rd of May they were engaged behind _Gallegos_; when Lieutenant John Townsend retired with the piquets under a heavy cannonade towards Fuentes d'Onor, and a squadron, under Captain Brotherton, had a sharp affair near Pozo Velho. At the battle of _Fuentes d'Onor_, on the 5th of May, the FOURTEENTH and first royal dragoons covered the movement of the right of the army from Nave d'Aver, retiring by alternate squadrons, under a heavy cannonade; one squadron of the regiment charged with signal gallantry some French artillery, but was repulsed, and Captain Robert Knipe commanding the squadron was mortally wounded: he was succeeded in the command of the squadron by Lieutenant (afterwards Lieut.-Colonel) John Townsend: Lieut.-Colonel Hervey had his horse killed under him, and received a severe contusion. An attack was made on the position in the rear of the village. 'The French with one shock drove in all the cavalry out-guards, and cutting off Captain Ramsay's battery, came sweeping in upon the reserves of horse and upon the seventh division. But their leading squadrons approaching in a disorderly manner, were partially checked by the British, and, at the same time, a great commotion was observed in their main body. Men and horses there closed with confusion and tumult towards one point, a thick dust arose, and loud cries, and the sparkling of blades, and the flashing of pistols, indicated some extraordinary occurrence. Suddenly the multitude became violently agitated, an English shout pealed high and clear, the mass was rent asunder, and Norman Ramsay burst forth at the head of his battery, his horses, breathing fire, stretched like greyhounds along the plain, the guns bounding behind them as things of no weight, and the mounted gunners followed in full career. Captain Brotherton of the FOURTEENTH dragoons, seeing this, rode forth with a squadron and overturned the head of the pursuing troops, and General Charles Stewart joining in the charge, took the French General Lamotte, fighting hand to hand.'[12] The French were repulsed in their attempt to relieve Almeida, and they withdrew from Portugal.